Method of de-emphasizing the gap between a door edge and adjacent structure

ABSTRACT

An edge guard and method whereby the edge guard is used to substantially fill the gap between the trailing edge of a door onto which the edge guard is installed and an adjacent portion of the vehicle body. In the case of a two-door model car and the rear door of a four-door model car the adjacent body structure is a pillar or post. In the case of the front door of a four-door model the adjacent body structure may be the front edge of the rear door. When the rear door swing is such that its front edge swings slightly forwardly when the door is opened, provision is made so that the front edge of the rear door does not hit the edge guard on the front door. The edge guard is characterized by inner and outer legs of substantially longer length than other edge guards whereby the edge guard may have a variable engagement with the door edge to permit adjustment for a range of different thicknesses of gap. A hardenable filler material is introduced during installation of an edge guard and is pliable at this stage to permit the edge guard to be adjusted. It subsequently sets to a hardened condition to provide a substantially permanent locator for the adjusted door edge guard. The edge guard is enclosed with protective insulation whose color matches that of the door and adjacent body structure whereby both the edge guard and the gap are substantially de-emphasized thereby promoting sleekness in the appearance of the automobile.

This application is a division of application Ser. No. 604,186, filedApr. 26, 1984, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,587,761.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to edge guards of the type which areapplied to swinging closures in automotive vehicles. More specifically,it relates to an improved edge guard and method for de-emphasizing thegap which exists between the door edge onto which the edge guard isinstalled and an adjacent portion of the vehicle body.

In the case of an automobile door, it is desirable to install an edgeguard along the trailing edge thereof. The edge guard provides bothdecorative and protective functions. In regard to the protectivefunction it is the purpose of the door edge guard to prevent the dooredge from being damaged when the door is swung open against an object inthe path of travel of the swinging door. Without door edge guards thepainted door edges are subject to chipping, marring, and consequentadverse effects such as rusting and corrosion. This leads to unsightlyappearance detracting from the value of the vehicle.

Applicant's efforts in the field of door edge guards are documented by anumber of issues and pending United States patents. One importantimprovement invented by applicant comprises an insulated edge guard inwhich an insulating material, such as a plastic for example, is appliedto a metal edge guard channel. The plastic serves to protectivelyinsulate the metal of the edge guard channel from the metal of the door.In so doing it minimizes the possibility of electro-chemical actionoccurring between the two metals. Such electro-chemical action givesrise to deterioration, rusting, etc., and is undesirable.

Applicant has also pointed out the advantage of having self-retainingedge guards. For certain usages self-retention is a desirable attributein an edge guard because it means that no additional procedures arerequired in order to install an edge guard on a door. Moreover it doesnot require the use of additional attaching parts, fasteners, oradhesives. A self-retaining metal edge guard applies the self-retentionforce via the legs of the metal U-shaped channel which bear againstopposite sides of the door edge on which the edge guard is installed.One of applicant's inventions relates to the provision of insulatingmaterial (i.e. plastic, and or rubber, and/or any other insulatingmaterial presently or hereafter known) between the points at which theself-retention force is applied.

Other of applicant's inventions relate to the use of plastic or otherinsulating material on the exterior and/or interior or any combinationthereof on the U-shaped channel.

Reference is made to the following issued U.S. patents of of applicant:U.S. Pat. Nos.

4,259,812

4,316,348

4,334,700

4,338,148

4,365,350

4,377,056

4,379,376

4,379,377

4,387,125

4,429,013

4,424,598

There are also a number of pending patent applications relating to DoorEdge Guards which are known to the Patent Office by virtue of theirpendency.

The present invention relates to a new and unique edge guard and methodwhereby the gap which exists between the edge on which the edge guard isinstalled and an adjacent portion of the vehicle body is de-emphasized.

For certain automobile designs, it is desirable to impart a sleekappearance, such as for example having character lines extend from frontto rear along the sides of the vehicle. The installation of a door edgeguard on the trailing edge of a door will generally be transverse to thedirection of desired sleekness. The adjacent gap between the trailingedge of the door and the adjacent portion of the vehicle body will alsobe generally transverse to the direction of sleekness.

In order to de-emphasize the gap between the trailing edge of the doorand the adjacent portion of the vehicle body, very extensive body panelfit improvement programs have been adopted by automobile manufacturers.Unfortunately in at least one instance the attempt to minimize the gaphas resulted in the inability of the door edge to accept a door edgeguard. Door edge guards are typically accessory or option items, andtherefore if a car door is designed with an improved fit to the doorframe opening, it becomes impossible to offer door edge guards as anaccessory or option because there is too little room. Not only does thisdeprive the consumer of the protective attributes which door edge guardscan afford but it also deprives the automobile manufacturers and dealerorganizations of the additional profit which is gained when edge guardsare sold as an option or accessory.

The present invention is directed to an edge guard and method whichaddresses concerns about body panel fit, yet permits a car to beequipped with door edge guards. The invention permits an automobile tohave the benefit of door edge guards while at the same timede-emphasizing the gap between the door edge and the adjacent part ofthe vehicle body. Moreover, the invention can even de-emphasize, atleast from the appearance standpoint, even the presence of an edge guarditself.

Hence, when the present invention is applied to an automobile door, boththe effect of the edge guard and the adjacent gap between the door edgeand the vehicle body are de-emphasized. This is deemed from the stylingstandpoint to promote a sleeker appearance.

Another advantage of the invention is that it is readily adaptable toaccommodate tolerance variations in the gap itself without impairing theeffectiveness of the edge guard in performing its protective function orimpairing the ease of installation of the edge guard.

The foregoing features, advantages and benefits of the invention, alongwith additional ones, will be seen in the ensuing description and claimswhich sould be considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.The drawings disclose a preferred embodiment of the invention accordingto the best mode contemplated at the present time in carrying out theinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a two-door automobilecontaining a door edge guard according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a four-door automobile containingdoor edge guards according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged horizontal cross sectional view taken in thedirection of arrows 3--3 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 illustrating the edge guard byitself.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a method of installing theedge guard according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view taken horizontally and illustrating aparticular step in the method.

FIG. 7 is a horizontal cross sectional view on an enlarged scale takenin the direction of arrows 7--7 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 8 is a horizontal sectional view on an enlarged scale taken in thedirection of arrows 8--8 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view similar to FIG. 4 illustrating analternate construction.

FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view similar to FIG. 9 illustrating stillanother construction.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 illustrates a two-door automobile 12 to which door edge guards 13embodying principles of the present invention have been applied. Thevehicle comprises side doors 14 having trailing edges on which edgeguards 16 are installed. When door 14 is in the closed position, asillustrated in FIG. 1, the edge guard 16 is disposed at the gap 18between the door's trailing edge and the matching forward edge of thevehicle body. In this case the forward edge of the vehicle body is partof the vehicle quarter panel and identified by reference numeral 20.

FIG. 2 illustrates a four-door vehicle 22 having on each side front andrear doors 23, 24 respectively. An edge guard 26 is installed on thetrailing edge of front door 23 and an edge guard 28 on the trailing edgeof rear door 24. In this instance, the adjacent part of the vehicle bodyadjacent to the front edge guard 26 is the forward edge 29 of rear door24. The forward edge 30 of the rear quarter panel matches the trailingedge of the rear door 24. The gaps associated with the respective edgeguards are identified by the reference numerals 32 and 34.

FIG. 3 illustrates further details of the construction of edge guard 16and its association with the automobile. Door 14 comprises a typicalconstruction used in the automotive industry wherein the door isconstructed of an inner door panel 36 and an outer door panel 38. Thetwo door panels join together around their perimeters by means of awelded hem flange wherein the outer perimeter margin of the outer doorpanel 38 is wrapped around the outer perimeter margin of the inner doorpanel 36 as depicted by FIG. 3.

The adjacent portion of the body comprises the quarter panel having aflange 40 disposed against a pillar or post 42. This is also arepresentative automobile construction.

FIG. 3 illustrates door 14 in the closed position. It will be observedthat edge guard 16 fits onto the trailing edge of door 14 andsubstantially fills gap 18. There is however a very slight clearance 44which is provided so that the edge guard does not in fact contact eitherquarter panel flange 40 or pillar 42.

The detailed construction of edge guard 16 is shown in FIG. 4. The edgeguard comprises a metal U-shaped channel 46 which is covered, except atits longitudinal ends, by a plastic encapsulation 48. The illustratedshape and construction of edge guard 16 depicted in FIG. 4 is intendedto be merely representative. The illustrated construction comprises themetal channel 46 having a general U-shape composed of a curved base 50,an inner leg 52 and an outer leg 54, each of which legs projects from acorresponding end of base 50 as viewed in cross section. The distal endof each leg 52, 54 is provided with a bead 56, 58 respectively, with theillustrated beading comprising the distal margins of the legs beingreverse turned inwardly back onto themselves.

The illustrated edge guard is advantageous in that it is aself-retaining type wherein the metal channel 50 provides theself-retention force with the beads 56, 58 bearing against the door edgeon opposite sides through the protective insulation.

It will be observed that although the edge guard possesses a generallyU-shaped cross section, the proportions are different from those ofother edge guards. Specifically, the lengths of the legs as viewed inFIG. 4 are considerably greater in relation to the radius of base 50than is the case with other edge guards. As will become apparent, thisis of particular significance.

The protective insulation 48 is shown to cover both the interior of theU-shaped cross section as well as the exterior. Once again, thisparticular illustration of insulating material is representative. It isdesirable to fully cover the entire interior with insulation as shown toprotectively insulate the metal of the channel from the metal of thedoor edge. Moreover, in accordance with a certain aspect of the presentinvention it is important to cover the exterior of the metal channelwith insulation from an appearance standpoint, particularly that portionof the edge guard which is visible from the side of the vehicle when thedoor is closed.

The illustrated full covering of both interior and exterior of the crosssection is desirable from a manufacturing standpoint since it ispossible for the material to be extruded or co-extruded onto the metaleither before or after forming of the metal to the U-shaped crosssection. Other means are also possible to apply the insulation such asby dipping, or by lamination of plastic film.

As explained in reference to FIG. 3 edge guard 16 is installed on thetrailing edge of door 14 such that the edge guard fills substantiallyall of the gap 18 which would otherwise exist between the trailing edgeof the door and the adjacent structure 40, 42. A significant advantageof the invention is that a given edge guard cross section design can befitted onto a door edge and still substantially fill gap 18 despitevariations in the dimension of gap 18 from vehicle to vehicle. In otherwords the edge guard can be mass produced to a given design and when itis installed on any given vehicle it can be adjusted on the edge so asto substantially fill the gap 18 for any gap dimension within a range oftolerances. As can be appreciated from consideration of FIG. 3 thelengths of the legs 52 and 54 are such that there is a substantialamount of overlap with the trailing edge of the door. Hence, the extentto which the edge guard is fitted onto the door edge may be set asdesired by either more or less fully inserting the edge guard onto thedoor edge so as to yield a certain minimum spacing 44 depending upon theextent to which the edge guard is engaged with the door edge. It isdesirable to avoid direct contact between the edge guard and theadjacent pillar and post construction 40, 42 so that the possibility ofrepeated opening and closing of the door wearing away the insulation onthe outside of the edge guard is foreclosed.

Because of the self-retaining character of the edge guard and thevariable extent to which the legs may be fitted onto the door edge, theinvention further provides a means to set the edge guard on the dooredge such that the proper extent of door edge engagement is assured andmaintained during and after the initial installation. This isaccomplished by means of a filler 60 disposed within the interior of theU-shaped edge guard as appears in FIG. 4. The filler material 60 is anysuitable material which will be effective to maintain the relativeposition of the edge guard in relation to the door edge once the properinstallation adjustment has been made. For example, the filler material60 may comprise a material which is applied to the channel's interiorprior to installation of the edge guard channel on the door edge. Whenthe edge guard is fitted onto the door edge, the material comes betweenthe door edge and the edge guard. It remains pliable long enough toallow the proper adjustment of the edge guard on the door edge to bemade, and it thereafter sets to a hardened state. In the hardened state,it becomes impossible to push the edge guard more fully onto the dooredge. It is impossible that the material could have resilient and/orcharacteristics whereby a certain resiliency is imparted but providing amemory whereby even if the edge guard is displaced on the door edge, itwill return to the proper adjusted position.

FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary application of the method. The fillermaterial 60 is dispensed into the interior of the channel by anysuitable means such as a nozzle 62. Means may be provided to control theapplication so that a substantially proper amount is always applied tothe edge guard channel. The channel is then fitted onto the door edge.

In order to provide the installation procedure with a means to achievethe desired gap thickness 44, it is useful to include a shim in theinstallation procedure. Such a shim 66 is shown in FIG. 6 as appliedonto flange 40 of the quarter panel. With the edge guard having beeninstalled approximately onto the door edge while the door is open, thedoor may be moved toward its closed position. As the door is brought tothe closed position the edge guard may be relatively adjusted on theedge so as to just bring the edge guard into contact with the shim asthe door closes. Once this contact has been achieved throughout thelength of the edge guard, the edge guard is deemed to be in the properinstalled position.

Thereafter, the door is opened and the shim is removed from the quarterpanel flange. Now when the door is again closed the minimum thicknessgap 44 exists between the edge guard and the adjacent body structurewhereby the desired objectives of non-contact and minimum gap widthbetween the edge guard and the pillar or quarter panel are achieved. Inthe event that there is an excess of filler material between the edgeguard and the door edge, it is permissible for some of it to intrudebetween the legs of the edge guard and the opposite sides of the dooredge. If there is any material which escapes the edges it may be wipedaway. Similarly any material which passes out of the longitudinal endsof the edge guard may also be removed. It is preferable however tocontrol the application in such a manner that the possibility of excessfiller material leaking out does not occur. This can be done byselectively applying the filler material to the edge guard; for example,by not applying a continuous length of the filler throughout the entirelength of the edge guard channel, but rather at selected points alongthe length.

The thickness of the shim 64 is used to set the width of gap 44. Theshim may be any suitable material such as a strippable adhesive tapeapplied to the quarter panel flange. It also could be a separate fixturewhich is positioned against the quarter panel flange during theinstallation procedure and which is subsequently removed after theproper adjustment of the edge guard on the door edge has been obtained.Still another possibility for the shim will be seen in the ensuingdescription of a later drawing figure.

On the basis of the foregoing description, it can be appreciated thatthe invention has yielded an edge guard construction wherein the gapwhich would otherwise exist between the trailing edge of the door andthe adjacent portion of the vehicle body has been substantially filledby the door edge guard. The door edge guard itself is furtherconstructed so as to de-emphasize not only the gap but the edge guarditself. This is accomplished by the selective coloration of the edgeguard to match the color of the exterior of the car door and adjacentquarter panel. The selective coloration comprises the plastic materialon the exterior of the edge guard channel being colored to match thepaint of the door and quarter panel. In this way when the edge guard isinstalled on the door edge the edge guard will be essentiallyunnoticeable when viewed from the side of the car, and at the same timebecause it is concealing the gap, it greatly attenuates the effect ofthe gap on the car's appearance. Therefore, the sleekness of the vehicleis enhanced because there is less noticeable interruption of any foreand aft extending character lines which may be present in the car'sdesign. Functionally the edge guard serves to provide protection for thepainted door edge in the same manner as provided by applicant's otheredge guards.

The protective function protects against paint chipping and marring onthe underlying door edge. Because of the protective insulation, thetendency toward corrosive electro-chemical action is essentiallyeliminated in normal use.

FIG. 7 illustrates a condition wherein there is a different amount ofoverlap between the edge guard and the door edge and it illustrates howthe design of a given edge guard cross section is adapted to handle gapsof different dimensions while still providing substantial concealment.By way of example, the lengths of the legs may be 1/2 to 3/4".

In the case of certain four-door automobile designs, the hinging of therear door is such that the forward edge of the rear door actually swingsslightly forwardly when the door is opened. Hence where a door edgeguard on the trailing edge of the front door is adjusted to the frontedge of the rear door, as will be the case in certain four-doorvehicles, it is necessary to allow for the effect of this slight forwardmotion of the forward edge of the rear door when the rear door is beingopened. While it is of course possible to provide a greater thickness ofshim when the front edge guard is being installed, which will beeffective to allow for the forward swing of the front edge of the reardoor, this will result in an increased thickness of the gap 44 thanwould be required for a two door automobile.

A further refinement of the invention is shown in FIG. 8 wherein theedge guard channel is provided with a chamfer, or a recess, 70 runninglengthwise of the edge guard and disposed on the inner half of the edgeguard cross section as, for example, viewed in FIG. 8. The midpoint ofthe base of the edge guard channel may be the point at which the contactwith the shim is established when the front door edge guard is beinginstalled. When the rear door is swung open, the chamfer or recess 70provides the necessary clearance for the slight forward swing of thefront edge of the rear door. Thus this design has the advantage ofproviding the necessary clearance for the forward swing of the rear doorwhen the door is open while at the same time providing a minimumthickness gap 44 when the front door is closed corresponding to thatobtainable in a two door automobile.

A still further aspect of the invention is depicted by FIG. 9 whichillustrates that the edge guard can have other than strictly a U-shape.This example illustrates a J-shaped edge guard 80 in which one leg 82 islonger than the other 84, in this case the outer leg being longer. Thismay be deemed a desirable alternative for certain usages and it ismerely representative of the fact that the invention may be embodied invarious cross sectional shapes.

FIG. 10 illustrates an advantageous way to establish the properinstalled position of the edge guard without having to use a shim suchas previously described. The edge guard 80 of FIG. 10 comprises a shim92 incorporated as a part of the edge guard itself. The shim may be madea part of the edge guard during the edge guard manufacturing procedureor it may be subsequently applied to the manufactured edge guard. Theedge guard is installed and adjusted in the manner described above butnow with the base of the edge guard at shim 92 disposed to just contactthe adjacent quarter panel and flange in the case of the two-doorinstallation. Once the adjustment has been made, the door is opened andthe release part is severed from the remainder of the edge guard. Thiswill yield the gap 44 of the desired minimum thickness. The separationof the shim from the edge guard may take place either before or afterthe filler material has set.

While the invention has been described with reference to aself-retaining insulated metal type edge guard since such has particularadvantages, it will be appreciated that principles of the invention maybe practiced without use of this specific type of edge guard. Forexample, it is possible that a strictly non-metallic edge guard be usedwhich is applied by means of adhesives. The adhesive itself as notedabove could form the filler material and endow the construction with acertain limited resiliency whereby the edge guard, even if slightlydeflected on the door edge, would nonetheless return to the desiredposition by virtue of the inherent memory of the elastic material.

Any suitable type of material may be used for insulation 48 and in thisregard the vinyl plastics are at present deemed to be the mostappropriate material. An especially good material for coloration andfunction is a laminate of polyvinylchloride (PVC) covered bypolyvinylfluoride (PVF). The PVC bonds to the metal channel and the PVFprovides the exterior coloration with the capability of providing manydifferent colors each corresponding to that of a particular vehiclecolor.

By way of example the thickness of the door edge onto which the edgeguard is installed may typically be on the order of ten to fifteenthousandths of an inch. In prior edge guards the legs are perhaps 1/8 to1/4 of an inch long. With the present invention, the legs are extendedconsiderably longer and may be on the order of 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch byway of example.

When the edge guard is manufactured by conventional manufacturingprocedures, the longitudinal ends (i.e. top and bottom of the edgeguard) may leave the metal channel exposed. If desired, the exposedmetal may be covered either by applying a protective material whichadheres onto and covers the longitudinal ends or by mounting an end capat said ends with the end cap being suitably shaped to be received bythe edge guard and to fit in cooperation with the door edge. The end capmay be of non-metallic material such as rubber, plastic or the like.

It is believed important to recognize the constraints which are imposedupon the manufacture of a door edge guard. The thickness of the gapwhich exists between the trailing edge of a door and an adjacent part ofthe vehicle body such as a pillar post, is determined by the automobilemanufacture, and in accordance with conventional automobile designmanufacture, there are certain tolerances which are acceptable. An edgeguard must satisfactorily fit on a door within these tolerances.

It must also be appreciated that the width of the gap is very small,typically fractions of an inch. The total thickness of the illustratededge guard comprises the thickness of the metal, and the two thicknessesof insulation, one on the inside and the other on the outside. Thistotal thickness of the edge guard must always be less than the minimumtolerable thickness of the door gap in case it is necessary for the edgeguard to be fully inserted onto the door edge.

The purpose of the inner layer of insulation is to provide protectionagainst galvanic action (i.e. rusting) between metal of the edge guardand metal of the door edge. It must also provide for the edge guard tobe fitted onto the door edge without marring the painted edge. Hence, itis possible for this thickness to be relatively small. In other words,it is possible to make the thickness of the inner layer less than thethickness of the outer layer. A thicker outer layer is desirable for anumber of reasons. For one, a thicker outer layer can provide improvedprotection not only to the edge guard and door edge on which the edgeguard is installed, but it can also provide protection for an adjacentautomobile which may be present in the path of the door swing. A thickerouter layer can attenuate the potential for damage when the door isopened and strikes an adjacent car. The increased thickness may have atendency to cushion impact forces, and it may also provide greaterresistance to exposure of the metal channel of the edge guard. If theouter layer of the edge guard is made relatively thin, impacts to whichthe edge guard is typically subjected over its useful life will have atendency to cut and nick the outer insulation, creating "chisel marks",and with a reduced thickness, this can result in earlier exposure of theunderlying metal of the edge guard. This exposure of metal can detractfrom the appearance. Hence, it is contemplated that an edge guard may beconstructed with the outer layer thicker than the inner layer and oneway of doing this is by an extrusion or co-extrusion process. It is ofcourse however possible to use other methods of manufacture.

When the thicknesses of the insulating material are selected for a givenminimum gap, this leaves a certain maximum thickness for the metal ofthe edge guard. Reducing the thickness of the edge guard metal canaffect the self-retention characteristics. It is therefore desirable touse metal alloys which provide increased resiliency at the reducedthickness to provide enhanced self-retention forces. Moreover, the beadswhich are formed at the ends of the edge guard can be tightened toenhance the effectiveness of the self-retention action. In other words,the use of such allows in reduced thickness material yields an enhancedgripping power, but the insulation on the interior of the edge guardstill permits installation without paint scuffing or marring so thatwhen the edge guard is in the installed position the insulating materialon the interior of the edge guard inhibits galvanic action between themetal of the edge guard channel and the metal of the door edge. Althoughthe invention may be practiced with different types of metal for themetal edge guard material, the present invention permits construction ofthe edge guard with an alloy, and it can eliminate the necessity ofusing a bi-metal. Bi-metal has heretofore been deemed desirable incertain edge guards but it does not have the resilience which may berequired for edge guards used in small thickness door gaps. With thepresent invention the vinyl layer on the interior of a reduced thicknessalloy channel provides for the installation and anti-galvaniccharacteristics of the edge guard and it eliminates the expense ofhaving to use bi-metal and it is not hampered by the limited resilienceof bi-metal. Moreover, the invention provides improvement and advantagesover bi-metal regardless of which side of the bi-metal is disposed onthe interior.

A material which is suitable for the filler is commonly known as"bondo". This material is used in automotive body work, and it can beapplied conveniently, permits adjustment of the edge guard, and it setsup relatively quickly thereafter.

The foregoing reference to use of a shim to set the gap between the edgeguard and the pillar post should also preferably take into accountdeformation in the vehicle's body which occurs when the vehicle is inuse. For example, when a vehicle is operating over the road,particularly a rough one, the body is subjected to substantial andvarying forces. These forces can result in a certain twisting ordeflection of the body parts which may not be readily noticeable but yetis nonetheless significant. Hence, the setting of the gap between thedoor edge guard and the adjacent pillar post should be sufficient toprevent the edge guard from hitting the pillar post under suchconditions. Another condition which may give rise to twisting anddeformation is when a tire is being changed and the vehicle is supportedon only the front or rear wheels.

While the invention has been described in connection with a door panelit will be appreciated that the invention may be applied to any swingingclosure in a vehicle in which the edge guard is applied to a trailingedge which closes against an adjacent portion of the vehicle body.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, itwill be appreciated that principles are applicable to other embodiments.

What is claimed is:
 1. The method of concealing the gap between thetrailing edge of a vehicle swinging closure and adjacent body structureagainst which the trailing edge closes and for concurrently protectingthe trailing edge by means of an edge guard applied over said edge, saidmethod comprising providing an elongated edge guard having a baseconnecting inner and outer spaced legs when viewed in cross section ofsuch a length to provide a range of adjustment fits of the edge guard onthe edge whereby the edge guard may be more or less fully inserted ontothe edge, installing the edge guard legs on the edge with there being aninitially pliable, but subsequently hardenable filler material betweenthe spaced legs at the base of the edge guard and the edge, adjustingthe edge guard on the edge so that the edge guard substantially fillssaid gap and allowing the filler material to harden and provide asubstantially permanent locator between the adjusted position of thebase of the edge guard and the edge.
 2. The method as set forth in claim1 in which the filler material is applied to the edge guard before theedge guard is fitted onto the edge.
 3. The method as set forth in claim1 in which a shim is provided between the edge guard and the adjacentvehicle body structure during the adjustment of the edge guard on theedge and the shim is subsequently removed after the adjustment has beencompleted.
 4. The method set forth in claim 3 in which the shim isprovided as a part of the edge guard and is subsequently severed fromthe edge guard after its adjustment.
 5. The method set forth in claim 1in which the edge guard is of a self-retaining type so that when appliedto the door edge it is self-retaining on the edge without the use of anyseparate fasteners.